Monday, October 28th, BLDG Memphis attended a meeting called by Mayor Young alongside the Better Transit for a Better Memphis Coalition and other transit advocacy groups such as the Memphis Bus Riders Union, Citizens for Better Service, and the Memphis Aging Commission regarding the ongoing public transit crisis. Mayor Young welcomed the group, giving a short introduction to the purpose of the meeting; to reach an understanding of the challenges faced by bus riders and to give the community an update on the city’s next steps.

Beginning with the announcement of the city’s next steps, Mayor Young informed the group that resources have been identified to pause the proposed November 3rd cuts until February 2025. Unfortunately, the Trolley line will remain offline until the FTA can approve the service return, which can take up to 180 days. He emphasized that this is a pause to cuts, not a permanent solution. Rather, he posited that their goal is to identify an “investable transit future,” which could be achieved through a set of singular fundamental changes rather than a series of route cuts and updates. The timeline to plan and begin implementing this ‘investable transit future’ is approximately 18 months. Having set the context of the meeting, Mayor Young opened the floor to the community members present to air their own concerns with the state of public transit in Memphis. 

Robert Hatfield, a UTHSC instructor and bus rider, began the discussion with a poll for the room. He asked how many people in the room were bus riders, a handful of people raised their hands. Then he asked how many had taken the bus that week and a few hands went down. Finally, he asked how many people had taken the bus that day, to that meeting, and very few hands remained up. It was a powerful display, highlighting the disconnect between the tables at which decisions are made and the people who are most affected by those decisions.

An elderly woman, who had raised her hand for each of Robert’s questions, shared her concerns with MATA services as a wheelchair user. She explained that she relies on the bus to attend her medical appointments, but that she doesn’t feel physically safe taking public transit. She has had drivers fail to secure her wheelchair properly, endangering her life and her expensive mobility device. She suggested that all drivers be trained to properly secure all wheelchairs and mobility devices, as well as how to navigate such a public facing job. It was also shared that many bus riders who are elderly and or disabled must rely on public transit to live their lives. This includes medical appointments, but does not stop there, it also includes groceries, social opportunities, church, and places of work. A member of the Memphis Aging Commission added that because 20% of Memphians are elderly or disabled, our public transit must be designed with accessibility for everyone’s basic needs, not just those who can stand and wait for hours at a bus stop. A representative of the Memphis Bus Riders Union echoed these concerns about the treatment of disabled and non-disabled bus riders, insisting that everyone who utilizes public transit is a taxpayer and should have reliable access to the transit system they pay into.

Representatives from Citizens for Better Service reported problems identifying active Road Supervisors who are supposed to serve as terminal communicators and problem solvers, addressing problems with route schedules and assisting individuals stranded at bus stops. One representative of the group, Jon Mosley, shared that lack of communication is a problem beyond just the internal functioning of MATA. He highlighted his own frustrations with the way the MATA scheduled community meetings only a few short weeks before the MATA Board voted on a proposal. Mr. Mosley shared that instead, they should have been meeting with the community before a proposal was developed.

Robert Hatfield later brought up the topic of choice-ridership and the importance of creating a system of transit that is a viable alternative to driving. It was shared in the meeting that with the activation of MATA’s Go901 program, approximately 40,000 people signed up as riders, which is nearly as many riders as in MATA’s better years, 10-12 years ago. Mr. Hatfield encouraged the City to consider choice-riders in the development of the transit vision, uplifting the opportunities MATA may have for renewed corporate and institutional partnerships by providing reliable and effective transportation for employees. 

The Better Transit for a Better Memphis Coalition shared Robert’s vision of reliable public transit as a means for both economic and health equity. However, Leo Arnoult challenged the Mayor’s call for a renewed transit vision, mentioning that Memphis spent hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars to develop the 2018 Transit Vision which has gone unrealized for six years now. He urged that the city end the defunding of MATA and invest in a sustainable transit future. 

Mayor Young took a few moments to respond to the group’s concerns and feedback, sharing that MATA funding has been on his mind daily, but that he cannot continue funding the transit system as it stands. He insisted that while the next steps may require routes to be cut, that they do not want to remove access. John Lewis, who contributed to the Transpro Report, was invited to share his own reflections on the state of transit in Memphis. He shared that one of the primary challenges for MATA as it stands is that the active routes require a fleet of 74 vehicles to run effectively, however MATA only has 54, with an estimated 12 more in the coming months. Without 74 vehicles, the system cannot run efficiently, and without the resources to purchase and maintain a full fleet, MATA must reconsider their service plan. He urged the City to spend the next 18 months identifying funding sources and completing the fleet while they reassess MATA’s services. 

Mayor Young wrapped up the meeting by thanking those present and sharing his intent to reconvene the group when the city and MATA have identified their next steps in this 18 month journey for reliable transit access.

We look forward to updating you as we collaborate for better transit and a better Memphis.